Daily Times

Myanmar security forces have arrested a prominent democracy activist and protest leader in a nighttime raid in commercial hub Yangon, a member of his protest group said on Thursday. Paing Phyo Min was arrested late Wednesday after authorities entered a residence in east Yangon’s Thaketa township, Nan Lin of the “Anti-junta Alliance Yangon” protest group told AFP. Paing Phyo Min had not been heard from since, he said, adding, “We are very concerned about his life and safety.” Amnesty International said it understood Paing Phyo Min and Shein Wai Aung, another activist, “were arrested on 9 October and sent to an interrogation centre.” Shein Wai Aung and his father, mother and sister were all uncontactable, Amnesty said. Junta authorities in Yangon were not immediately reachable when contacted by AFP. In 2019, under the quasi-civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, Paing Phyo Min was jailed for six years for performing a satirical poem criticising the military. The sentence sparked criticism from rights group Amnesty International and he was released in 2021, according to the watchdog.